A Better Man
by belladonna2648
Summary: Rose stares at the Doctor and finds herself thinking back over her life and her past relationships. She wonders how her life had gotten to this point. Had she finally found a better man? Inspired by the song 'Better Man' by Pearl Jam.


As Rose sat and watched him…this glorious man, slinking around the console with the grace of a panther…she wondered how her life had possibly gotten to this point and remembered what it used to be like…when she was at her lowest.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

She couldn't see it at the time, but then again…you can't see through the fog until you've gotten out of it. She honestly didn't think her life was worth any better. She remembered what it was like before Jimmy when things were so good and then after, when things were so bad.

Now, she realizes just how much she was lying to herself…she told herself she was in love with him…that she's never gonna find a better man. She was a shop-girl from the estates who had dropped out of school for a bloke, never even got her A-levels. Jimmy was as good as she would ever find.

She remembers the night she had decided to leave him…her heart had been broken enough. She'd caught him with other girls countless times, other girls that he had spent her money on that she made to support them both. That night, she'd had it.

She had been laying in _their_ bed _by herself_ , staring at the clock that said 4 am in bright red numbers. She knew where he probably was…but there were no more tears left to cry. Rose knew this had to stop…this was the moment, her breaking point.

As she laid in bed, she began running her speech through her head over and over…exactly what she was going to say to him. She wasn't going to take it anymore. She had lied to herself too many times. As soon as he came home, she would tell him.

That all went out the door as soon as he walked in. As the door opened, she saw him…drunk, disheveled, and smelling of a cheap perfume that isn't hers. She rolls back over and away from him before he sees her. Her whole speech forgotten. He wasn't worth a speech anymore.

Before the next day had ended, Rose had walked out without a word and left Jimmy Stone to move back in with her mum. It wasn't six months later that she heard he had ended up in jail. She wasn't surprised.

Then she'd met Mickey and things got better. Mickey was a great guy…a prince by comparison. He had a job, supported himself, treated her well, and never even thought about cheating on her. He was a good bloke. She really did love him, but as time went on, Rose didn't want to admit to herself that something was missing.

She remembers the first conversation she had with Shireen that made her realize that the truth had been obvious to everyone accept her. Her eyes opened.

"Rose, what are you doing?" her friend asked her as they nursed their pints at the local pub.

"I don't know what you mean." Rose shrugged, not looking up from her glass.

"Yes you do, Rose. I've seen it from you before…that look in your eyes. You ain't happy."

"Course I'm happy. Why wouldn't I be?" she said, still not looking up.

"You tell me. It's me Rose…we've been best mates for a long time. You can talk to me, ya know."

"I know, but I'm fine…really!" Rose replied, finally looking up in her friends eyes.

"You're not…I can tell. We all can."

"What do you mean?"

"You're not happy with Mickey anymore…but…for whatever reason, you're still with him."

"Course I'm still with him! I love him!"

"I don't doubt that, but I think you're lying to yourself Rose. I know you…you're settling. I'm not saying Mickey's a bad bloke. He's my friend too…I know he's a good guy. But Rose, I know that look in your eyes…I've known you for a long time. I can tell when you're not happy."

"Well things may not be perfect, but where am I gonna find a better bloke, huh? I mean, look at me Shireen! I'm nothing special and Mickey's great."

"There you go Rose…that same speech. You said the same thing about Jimmy remember?"

"It's nothing like Jimmy! Mickey is nothing like him!"

"I'm not saying he is, but you both deserve to be happy! You and Mickey."

"I know…guess I didn't realize everyone else could tell." Rose replied, finally feeling defeated.

"Course we can Rose…we love you. And I've no doubt you love him, but don't settle for Mickey cause you think you ain't worth better…cause you are! Don't keep lying to yourself or to him. You both deserve better."

"I know."

The next day, a better man blew up her shop.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Bringing herself out of her memories, Rose looked at the Doctor again…really looked at him. The piercing blue eyes, the ears, the leather, the boots…the glare that would turn a ghost to stone and the sexy confidence would make the iciest heart melt. He was magnificent. And Rose couldn't help but wonder what she had done right to deserve this life? What could he possibly see in her?

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Rose, come on! You've been gone for a whole year and reappear out of the blue and you're not going to tell us where you went?" Keisha yelled at her over the bass of the club music.

"Sod that! I want to know about this mysterious man that swept her off her feet! You can't expect us to believe you ain't shaggin' him! At least tell us what he looks like! Come on Rose!" Shireen begged her.

As soon as her friends had found out Rose was back and hadn't in fact been murdered by Mickey, she was quickly dragged away for a night of drinking and dancing at the club…the Doctor steadfastly deciding to stay behind in the Tardis and let her have a night on the town. No matter how she begged.

Which is how she found herself standing at a bar in a club, waiting for a drink and wearing the tightest gold dress her friends could get her into.

"I don't know…he's…" Rose started with a shrug.

"He must be an amazin' shag Rose if you're gonna disappear with him for a year without a word!" Shireen yelled over the noise.

Rose rolled her eyes. "I'm not shaggin' the Doctor!" she yelled back.

"Oh my god, he's a Doctor?! Look at you Rose!" yelled Keisha. "Told you you'd find one better!"

"Forget that…look at the dish that just walked in!" Shireen yelled, with a slap to both of her friend's shoulders.

As Rose turned around, her breath caught in her throat. Standing in the doorway of the club, looking around the room…was the Doctor…without his leather jacket. She had never seen him look as young or as much like a regular bloke as he did in that moment. And he looked delicious.

She froze the moment he spotted her. Suddenly, her dress felt a bit too small.

"Wow! Who is that?" yelled Keisha.

"He's certainly got that tall, dark, and mysterious thing going for him! Bit older, but what I wouldn't do to him!" Shireen yelled.

"Shireen!" Rose yelled at her.

"What? Ain't no one tying me down! I could go for a bit of mystery tonight!" Shireen yelled back at her.

"Well, you might have a go…looks like he's comin' this way!" Keisha yelled at Shireen.

"Sorry, um…" Rose began nervously. "Um, I think this one's mine." she finished.

"What?! No way Rose, I saw him first! Why do you get him?" Shireen yelled over the noise.

Before a response could be formulated, the man in question was in front of her.

"Rose! Decided tag along after all. Mind if I join you?" the Doctor asked, not quite taking in the shocked expression on her friends faces.

"Um, course not." she said as she shook her shocked thoughts out of her head. What was happening to her? "Thought you were tinkering all night though?" she asked.

"Nah, bit too quiet without you." he responded.

"Rose?!" Shireen finally chimed in with shock. Rose blushed, just remembering what her friends had been saying moments before.

"Oh, sorry! Hello, I'm the Doctor!" he said as he introduced himself.

"Oh my god! You're the man Rose's been off with?!" Keisha yelled.

"Yup, that's me!" he responded cheerfully. Shireen and Keisha stared, then turned to Rose and stared at her.

"Doctor, this is Shireen and this is Keisha." she said, introducing her friends before stepping forward to grab his hand in hers.

"Uh, Doctor…would you get me a drink from the bar? Something pink and fruity? I need to talk to my friends." asked Rose, turning to him.

"Course!" he said before walking off to the bar. Rose turned back to the shocked faces of her friends.

"Oh my god Rose, that's the Doctor?!" yelled Shireen. Rose nodded.

"Rose, if you're not shaggin' him, I'm gonna!" Shireen yelled again.

"I'm so jealous Rose! He's quit a dish!" yelled Keisha.

As Rose continued to listen to the barrage of questions and comments regarding the Doctor and her relationship with him, Rose stood by and watched as he turned away girl after girl. Watching him in her world made her realize just how different he was from any other guy she had known.

As the Doctor waited at the bar for Rose's drink, he turned and caught her eye again as she was staring and gave her a sly grin, as if he knew what she was thinking. In that moment, Rose cold feel things changing between them.

"You're so lucky Rose!" Keisha had commented.

Rose couldn't help but agree and once again found herself wondering how her life had gotten to this point. As she felt the electricity in the Doctor's gaze that was solely focused on her, she most definitely knew that she would never find a better man.


End file.
